ABSTRACT
Objective: The purpose of an Employee Acupuncture Clinic is to provide additional support to our fellow Cook County Health (CCH) colleagues and coworkers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare professionals impacted by high levels of risk, trauma, fatigue, mental and emotional stress, and possibly quarantined social isolation, could benefit from additional services offered to promote wellness, which may conceivably influence performance, stamina, and resilience. Description: Announcements for the clinic will be posted on the intranet Welcome page, as email blasts, and through Employee Health Services. The clinic will be staffed with CCH Attending Acupuncturists, and appointments will be at the Pain Management Center, Clinic B, from 3 PM - 7 PM. Healthcare insurance reimbursement for acupuncture is the CCH Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO plan. Discussion: Acupuncture is one of the safest interventions in medicine with a low occurrence of serious adverse events, 11 per 4,441,103 procedures, when performed by qualified acupuncturists. Research into acupuncture as a medical treatment has grown over the past 20 years, with over 13,000 studies conducted in 60 countries. Acupuncture treats a wide variety of conditions and has been recommended by both the Joint Commission and the ACGME as a non-pharmaceutical approach to pain management. The implementation of employee acupuncture clinics has previously been researched by the Mayo Clinic, and at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The Veterans Health Administration has incorporated the use of acupuncture for treating veterans with chronic pain and PTSD. Conclusion: An Employee Acupuncture Clinic would be supportive of our colleagues at CCH, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and thereafter. There is evidence-based support documenting the safety and efficacy of acupuncture. The employee BCBS PPO health plan covers acupuncture. And finally, healthcare providers could receive the additional care and support they require and deserve.
ABSTRACT
Background: Cook County Health (CCH) was founded in 1834 to provide health aid to the indigent residents of Cook County. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, this safety net for healthcare provided care to thousands of people, with over 1 million unique visits per year. In 2011, the Acupuncture Department was added to the Pain Management Center, as an Integrative Medicine approach to pain management, with Frank Yurasek appointed as Director, under the direction of Dr. Maria Torres, MD, PMC Chair. Pain Management Center patients, suffering in order of complaint, from: back, neck, hip, shoulder, knee pain, gun shot, beating and stabbing victims, workplace injuries, and motor vehicle accidents. Pre-pandemic patient levels averaged 20 to 25 treatments daily, Monday through Friday. That number went to zero in March of 2020, due to the pandemic. Telehealth Program: Following shutdown, the acupuncture department met to develop and deliver Telehealth Acupuncture services to its patients, who had come to depend on acupuncture as an opiate sparing intervention. Customized Acupuncture Telehealth visits included tailored acupressure instructions to provide pain relief, as well as exercise, stretching and breathing routines based on simplified Qi Gong practices, diet modifications, and herbal tea recommendations. Follow-up calls were made to monitor progress and modify program components as needed. The weekly flow chart, follow-up scripts, and response summaries will be reviewed in this presentation. Proposal: Acupuncture Pain Management patients have begun to return to the clinic for in person follow-up care. Completion of a proposed anonymous, short questionnaire will be discussed with acupuncture patients. Those interested in participation, will pick up the questionnaire, complete, and leave behind with the front desk Clerk. In the past, the utilization of acupuncture patient questionnaires has provided valuable feedback, and we look forward to providing the patient feedback on our Telehealth Acupuncture visits.